Old fitness bands may soon die out as a new smartband that aims to let users track their activities, as well as control connected devices around them, is now up for crowdfunding.

From Mighty Cast, Inc. comes the first modular smartband called Nex Band, which features interchangeable mods that can be turned into five hackable (programmable) buttons that allow users to completely control other connected devices and applications.

Using the Nex iOS app available for iPhone 4s and later, users can create hacks, or programming shortcuts, that unlock an infinite number of creative uses of the Nex Band. This removes the need for third-party apps or developers that customize and control other connected devices.

Nex Band mod hacks allows users to:

• Stay on top of their fitness goal by just looking at lighted mods on the band to see their progress.
• Control smarthome devices with just a tap of a mod. It can be programmed to open or close the garage door, turn light on or off, start the coffee maker, adjust the temperature and more.
• Control music in the user’s home. Tap a mod to play or skip songs, adjust the volume, or control the user’s Spotify playlist or other music player.
• Serve as a notifications hub, as users can assign different light patterns for social, gaming and mobile notifications. Users can assign different light patterns for when a user receives an email, like a photo on Instagram, or even when the user’s favorite sports team scores.
• Save data on mods such as photos, videos, music, journal entries, or even all the hacks created by the user can be stored within a mod. This feature allows hacks and data to be always available for the user when needed, as well as easily share them with other Nex Band users.

“Our goal is to democratize the wearable space; to give complete creative control and empowerment to our community,” said Adam Adelman, CEO and cofounder of Mighty Cast. “Nexers can create a hack in seconds – whether it be sending an email, snapping a selfie, tracking your activity, sharing a secret, or DJing a party – the possibilities are endless.”

The Nex Band includes five hackable mods, will come in two sizes (small/medium and medium/large), available in two colors (black and white), and is available for pre-order on Indiegogo.com for $99. Mighty Cast aims to make the Next Band available by summer 2016.

App fatigue

The Nex Band is another device that will collect user data from activities, music, location, and even what smart home devices are used in the home. It will need a mobile app for users to be able to create hacks or gain insight on the data the device collected. The way the Nex Band operates is similar to how other fitness trackers and smartwatches do: Users need a device to collect data and an app to interpret the collected data. The problem with this is consumers are growing tired of the apps, as evidenced by a new report from Argus Insights, Inc.

According to the report, there is a gap between the delight in using the device and how the app interprets the data. The report also revealed what features users want or don’t want in the apps that come with their wearable devices. The most infuriating feature, according to the report, is the need for data to be synced, followed by the app crashing. The most sought features are fitness and calorie tracking.

The report also revealed that thought consumers were not that impressed with the Jawbone UP; its app is the most liked app compared to those offered by Samsung, Microsoft, Fitbit, Garmin and others.

Argus Insights’ report concluded: “As wearable technology continues to improve with better components and design, devices are becoming more standardized. There is a clear need for  improvement of the applications used to interpret all the data these devices collect.”

Image source: screenshot via Mighty Cast, Inc.